Metzer Farms
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersGonzales, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Metzer Farms firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metzer Farms
- Legal name
- Metzer Farms
- Website
- https://metzerfarms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metzer Farms industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waterfowl Hatchery
- NAICS
- Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Poultry Hatcheries (112340)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Duck & Goose Production (Waterfowl) (AFAEADAG)
Keywords
Where Metzer Farms is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gonzales
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Metzer Farms business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Day-Old Bird Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling day-old ducklings, goslings, chicks, and guinea keets. They offer over 32 breeds of ducks and 13 breeds of geese. Minimum order of 3 ducklings or 2 goslings. Ship from a few birds for backyard hobbyists to 5,000 ducklings for commercial growers.
- Fresh Duck Eggs: Sales of fresh duck eggs to Whole Food Markets and retail/food service outlets in the western US under the Olinday Farms brand. Also sells duck eggs by mail order.
- Hatching Eggs: Sale of duck and goose hatching eggs for customers who want to incubate their own birds.
- Supplies and Merchandise: Sale of waterfowl supplies including VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost supplement, books, equipment, and branded merchandise (hats, t-shirts, gift certificates).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ducklings range from $10.50 to $34.99 depending on breed |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chickens from $4.24 to $5.13 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost supplement $14.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gift certificates and merchandise available |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Metzer Farms product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metzer Farms is a family-owned waterfowl hatchery that breeds, incubates, and ships day-old ducklings, goslings, heritage turkeys, chickens, and guinea fowl directly to customers via USPS, along with fresh duck eggs, hatching eggs, and waterfowl supplies. The company operates dual hatcheries in Gonzales, California and Memphis, Tennessee, serving backyard hobbyists, commercial growers, feed stores, and food service/retail buyers across the United States and Canada.
Product overview
Metzer Farms is a family-owned waterfowl hatchery operating since 1972, offering a diverse portfolio of poultry products centered around day-old birds and eggs. The core offerings include 32 breeds of ducklings and 13 breeds of goslings, complemented by heritage turkeys, chickens (Cornish Cross and Brown Egg Layers), and French Pearl Guineas. The product line extends to duck hatching eggs, fresh duck eggs for eating, balut, salted duck eggs, and blown eggs for crafts. Supporting products include VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost (niacin supplement), waterfowl starter feed, equipment supplies, and educational books. A merchandise line features branded apparel and the fresh duck egg sub-brand Olinday Farms serves retail and food service customers in the western US. The company operates hatcheries in Gonzales, California and Memphis, Tennessee, shipping birds from few individuals to 5,000+ for commercial growers throughout the United States and Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ducklings Day-old ducklings across 32 breeds including Pekin, Mallard, Khaki Campbell, Runner, Cayuga, Rouen, Saxony, Welsh Harlequin, Magpie, Muscovy, hybrids such as Pekin Grimaud and Golden 300 Hybrid Layers, and assorted varieties. Available for hobbyists, backyard farmers, and commercial growers, with prices ranging from $10.50 to $34.99 per bird.
- Goslings Day-old goslings across 13 breeds including African, Embden, Toulouse, Pilgrim, Sebastopol, Roman Tufted, Buff, Chinese, and Super African varieties. Available for hobbyists and commercial growers, with a minimum order of 2 goslings.
- Heritage Turkeys Heritage turkey poults including Black Spanish, Blue Slate, Narragansett, Standard Bronze, Bourbon Red, Broad Breasted White, Broad Breasted Bronze, and White Holland varieties, for seasonal meat production and homestead flocks.
- Chickens Day-old chicks including Cornish Cross chickens for commercial meat production and Brown Egg Layer and Pioneer chickens for egg production, all hatched year-round. Prices range from $4.24 to $5.13 per chick.
- French Pearl Guineas Day-old guinea fowl keets for pest control and small-scale poultry operations.
- Duck Hatching Eggs Fertile duck hatching eggs for customers who want to incubate their own birds, with candling pictures and a hatching time-lapse resource provided on the website.
- Fresh Duck Eggs (for Eating) Fresh duck eggs sold for culinary use, including Balut (fertilized incubated egg) and Salted Duck Eggs (preserved). Available by mail order and through the Olinday Farms brand at retail and food service outlets in the western US.
- Blown Duck and Goose Eggs Empty shells of duck and goose eggs sold for craft projects, decoration, and artistic purposes (not for eating).
- VitaMetz Waterfowl Boost Proprietary niacin supplement formulated for waterfowl, containing 50,000 mg of niacin per pound plus electrolytes, vitamins, trace minerals, and probiotics. Supports healthy growth, digestion, hydration, and strong leg development. Sold as a 4oz package for $14.95 that treats approximately 25 gallons of water.
- Waterfowl Starter Feed Complete feed formulated specifically for ducklings and goslings, supporting early growth and development.
- Happy Hen Treats Treats formulated for chickens and waterfowl.
- Waterfowl Equipment and Supplies Equipment including Waterfowl Floor Panels, Duck Egg Cartons, Starter Kit, One Gallon Waterer, Baby Feeder, Brooder Thermometer, and Brooder Lamp with Bulb.
- Duck and Poultry Books Educational books including Raising Ducks, Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks, Duck Eggs Daily, An Introduction to Heritage Breeds, Choosing and Keeping Ducks and Geese, Chicken Health For Dummies, The Ultimate Pet Duck Guidebook, The Domestic Duck, Wing Disorders in Waterfowl, and others.
- Duck and Goose Breed Packages Pre-selected duck assortments including Assorted Call Ducks, Egg Layer Assortment, Mixed Ducklings, Muscovy Variety, Runner Duck Assortment, and Premium Duck Assortment, plus goose packages (Fancy Goose Package and Mixed Goslings).
- Gift Certificates and Merchandise Branded merchandise including Metzer Farms Hats ($20), T-shirts featuring various duck and goose breeds ($26.25), Swag Pack ($34.95), Goose Egg Holiday Craft Kit ($39.99), and Gift Certificates ($25).
- Olinday Farms Fresh Duck Eggs Fresh duck egg brand sold to retail and food service outlets in the western US, sourced from the Hollister, California facility. Customers include 15 Whole Foods Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of birds shipped from Memphis hatchery after 2024 expansion
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Metzer Farms
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Metzer Farms technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Metzer Farms partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Amish Farmers (Tennessee)coreMetzer Farms partners with Amish farmers in Tennessee who use Metzer Farms breeders to produce hatching eggs for the Memphis hatchery. This arrangement enables the Memphis facility to operate efficiently while maintaining quality breeding stock.
- FedExcoreFedEx works in conjunction with USPS to transport live birds by air across the country. FedEx planes carry Priority Lives shipments as well as Express packages. This partnership enables the mail-order hatchery industry to deliver day-old poultry nationwide.
- USPS (United States Postal Service)coreUSPS is the primary delivery partner for shipping live day-old poultry to customers throughout the United States and Canada. USPS is one of the only agencies that will ship live animals in America. FedEx and UPS will not deliver ducklings to doorsteps.
- Holderread Waterfowl FarmcoreMetzer Farms acquired the Holderread Buff and Pilgrim goose breeder flocks from Dave and Millie Holderread in 2010. These genetics are used to expand pure Holderread flocks and prevent inbreeding in existing breeder flocks.
- Agricenter InternationalminorMetzer Farms participated in Agricenter International's 2022 Feast on the Farm event in Memphis, Tennessee. Agricenter is a non-profit dedicated to agricultural research, education, and conservation.
- Chicken Whisperer MagazineminorPartnership with Chicken Whisperer Magazine for the 'Ducks for Bucks' contest. Magazine readers interested in transitioning from chickens to ducks could win a $100 gift certificate.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Metzer Farms competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cackle Hatchery: Family-owned Missouri mail-order hatchery offering chicks, ducklings, goslings, turkeys, and guinea keets shipped nationwide. Direct competitor in the same USPS-delivered day-old bird channel with overlapping hobbyist and small-grower customers.
- Murray McMurray Hatchery: One of the largest U.S. mail-order hatcheries, shipping day-old chicks, ducklings, goslings, and other poultry directly to consumers and small farms. Highly comparable to Metzer on DTC mail-order model, breed breadth, and hobbyist/commercial dual customer base.
- Purely Poultry: Wisconsin-based mail-order hatchery aggregating day-old chicks, ducklings, goslings, turkeys, and guineas from multiple breeders for direct-to-consumer shipping. Comparable mail-order model with overlapping waterfowl assortment.
- Peach State Chicks (PS Chicks): Mail-order hatchery supplying chicks, ducklings, game birds, and poultry supplies nationwide with a similar DTC shipping model. Comparable assortment and small-grower/hobbyist focus overlapping with Metzer's day-old bird business.
- Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms: Texas-based mail-order hatchery supplying day-old chicks, ducklings, goslings, turkeys, and guineas via direct shipping. Comparable breed breadth and DTC mail-order fulfillment model to Metzer Farms.
- Stromberg's Chicks & Gamebirds Unlimited: Long-running mail-order hatchery and gamebird supplier selling day-old chicks, ducklings, game birds, and equipment to hobbyists and small growers. Competes in similar DTC channels and adjacent waterfowl/gamebird categories.
Broad incumbents
- Tractor Supply Co. National rural-lifestyle retailer carrying chicks/ducklings seasonally and a full line of feed, equipment, and supplies. Functions as both a wholesale channel for hatcheries like Metzer and an indirect competitor for hobbyist customer dollars.
- Maple Leaf Farms: Largest U.S. duck processor, vertically integrated from breeding through processed duck meat products. Comparable only at the commercial duck/breeder layer, but operates at vastly larger scale in meat rather than day-old bird hobbyist sales.
Emerging players
- Holderread Waterfowl Farm: Historic Oregon-based waterfowl breeder and hatchery whose Buff and Pilgrim goose flocks were acquired by Metzer in 2010. Remains adjacent in the waterfowl genetics and education niche, and its earlier heritage lines now anchor part of Metzer's breeding program.
Regional players
- Feed Store / Agway-type Independent Retailers: Regional feed-store chains that wholesale day-old birds and supplies to hobbyists and small farmers, overlapping Metzer's feed-store distribution channel and end-customer base across specific U.S. regions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metzer Farms social profiles
Digital presenceMetzer Farms financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metzer Farms leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Metzer Farms subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Metzer Farms funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metzer Farms M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metzer Farms
What does Metzer Farms do?
Metzer Farms is a family-owned waterfowl hatchery that breeds, incubates, and ships day-old ducklings, goslings, heritage turkeys, chickens, and guinea fowl directly to customers via USPS, along with fresh duck eggs, hatching eggs, and waterfowl supplies. The company operates dual hatcheries in Gonzales, California and Memphis, Tennessee, serving backyard hobbyists, commercial growers, feed stores, and food service/retail buyers across the United States and Canada.
Is Metzer Farms a public or private company?
Metzer Farms is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Metzer Farms founded?
Metzer Farms was founded in 1972. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metzer Farms based?
Metzer Farms is headquartered in Gonzales, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metzer Farms make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Day-Old Bird Sales are the primary driver. The others are fresh Duck Eggs, hatching Eggs and supplies and Merchandise.
Who are Metzer Farms's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cackle Hatchery, Murray McMurray Hatchery, Purely Poultry, Peach State Chicks (PS Chicks), Ideal Poultry Breeding Farms and Stromberg's Chicks & Gamebirds Unlimited. Broad incumbents are Tractor Supply Co. and Maple Leaf Farms. Holderread Waterfowl Farm is listed as an emerging player. Feed Store / Agway-type Independent Retailers is listed as a regional player.
Does Metzer Farms have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metzer Farms.
What industry is Metzer Farms in?
Metzer Farms's product category is Waterfowl Hatchery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEADAG, Duck & Goose Production (Waterfowl). Its NAICS code is 1123 and its SIC code is 200.